Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-06-30
EARTH UPHEAvALS.
The Effects OF Earthquakes Much Worse
Than Those of Cyclones.


which we term earthquakes that inter-
ests and fascinates vast majority OF
mankind Probably few readers are
aware that since 1888 no less than $50
earthquakes have occurred in various
parts of New England and the Atlantic
States. Previous to the recent destruct-
i've earthquake at Charleston the most
severe shock known in this country was
at New Madrid, Mo-, in 1911. The
ground rose in huge waves, which burst,
and volumes of water, sand, and pit
coal were thrown high as the tops OF
the trees The forests waved like stand
ing corn in a gale of wind, and an area
seventy miles long by thirty miles wide
was submerged and became swampy
lake.
On August IS, 1868, a fearful earth
quake took place in Peru, which laid
waste much of the country lying be-
tween the Andes and the Pacific. The
shocks were felt through distance OF
l,4OO miles, north and south, and three
important cities were destroyed. At
Arequipa, in Peru, forty miles from the
sea, slight undulatory shock was felt,
followed by others so violent that in five
minutes not house was standing in
that city of $4,000 inhabitants. A sub
terranean rumbling, like the rush of an
avalanche, was heard above the crash,
and a cloud of dust rose in the still air
over the city. On the seacoast were
situated Iquique and Arica-both were
destroyed by the shocks, and over
whelmed by tremendous wave. The
ocean thus took up the vibrations of
the land, and waves of tremendous
volume were put in motion, which
rolled, not only upon the coast, but
away from it with velocity in the deep
ocean of not less than 400 miles an
hour. The great wave--for one was OF
much greater volume than the others
has been estimated at upward of 200
miles breadth, with length along its
curved crest of 5000 miles. This rolled
into the harbor of Yokohama, in Japan,
10, 500 miles distant, and was felt at Port
Fairy, in South Victoria, distant nearly
one-half of the earth's circumference.
The opening and closing of assures
and chasms in the ground during earth
1uakes is a common phenomenon. Men,
animals and dwellings are sometimes
swallowed in them and forever disap'
pear. In 1848 an earthquake shook a
large portion of New Zealand, and a
assure Of great depth opened along a
chain of mountains from one thousand
to four thousand feet high, extending
sixty miles. but of not more than eigh'
teen inches in average width. During
the Calabrian earthquake of 1888 thu
surface of the ground opened ant
closed in immense assures, by means
of which new lakes were formed ant
u others drained or were dried up. A
Jerocarne the earth is described, by 81
Charles Lyell as lacerated in an extra
ordinary manner. "Fissures ran il
every direction, like cracks in broker
pane of glass" In another instance
; several dwellings were engulfed in
assure, and were found to be damned
with their contents, into compac
mass. Chasms of immense length an
l depth were formed. Some were ores
! cent-shaped, and mile in length. Tn
plains of Calabria were covered i
many places with circular hollows fror
one foot to three or four feet in diameter
: Some of these were filled with water
others with dry sand.
But changes in the earth's crust OF
cur during earthquakes, on a sti
4 grander scale. Evidences of local dii
e turbance, however disastrous it ma
h have been. are often effaced if not fol
v gotten in few centuries, frequent
/. in few years. But the slow upheav'
: of mountain chains and the dislocatio
A of, strata through profound depths al
results which have been the subject of il
n quiry by the world leading geologist
J. Whether the central portions of I'll
a earth be fluid or not, it is quite certai
3 that heat increases as we descend an
# it is estimated by Sir Charles Lyell tn;
;. the heat at depth of twenty-five mill
d would be sufficient to melt granite, an
q at thirty-four miles to render fluid (
e incandescent every known substanc
We have no means of knowing the Co
/ dition of matter under the enormo1
l. pressure which prevails at a depth
I thirty four miles, and are most co
" cerned with the fact that the heat
I fusion exists at no very great depth b
AZ meath the surface. The earth's cru
j. is, therefore, its cooled exterior.
ID 1t is found that nearly all rocks co
~ tract by cooling and expand by hes
he Lyell estimates that sandstone mile
1t thickness, and heated to 200 degre
70 Fahrenheit, would expand so as to
S, mass of rock upon it ten feet above
al former level; and If mass of &
If earth's crust equally expansible, fl
Q, miles in thickness, be heated to 800 q
er grees, it would rise 1,500 feet. Fro
OF cooling we have the reverse effect
re shrinkage, contraction, lateral pr,
ct sure, and ultimately blending of
lit strata. The strain thus produced W
re at length cause fracture, and the :
IS bration that results is an earthqual
This form of tension is being contin
ally and everywhere produced in
earth's crust, and there is probably
n. instant of time when that crust is q
ID tirely free from vibrations. There
err nothing" observes Darwin, mot ey
So the wind that blows, so unstable as
Is level of the crust of the globe. &C